Looking for the best ramen in Vancouver? Well, you’re in the right place!
As any Vancouverite can attest to, ramen is one of the city’s most prized foods.
Mainly because rain is a frequent occurrence here. And one of the greatest remedies of the gloomy downpour or a simple meal is a bowl of hot soup and noodles.
Here are ten of our favourite places to snag the best ramen Vancouver has to offer.
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1. Ramen Danbo
Let’s start with a classic choice, Ramen Danbo! This may be one of the best ramen places in Vancouver for Fukuoka-style tonkotsu ramen.
Ramen Danbo even goes the extra mile, allowing diners to customize their ramen orders.
Should you wish, you can build an entire ramen bowl from the bottom-up by choosing the doneness of the noodle type you choose, the thickness of the broth, types of cooked meats and vegetables, and a range of toppings to garnish your creation with after all is said and done.
However, you can never go wrong with their simple, traditional and wholesome Shio ramen.
Expect a long queue at their Robson Street and Kitsilano locations as they do serve some of the best ramen in Downtown Vancouver and a must-have if you’re needing to fill up your Vancouver Food Bucket List.
It’s well worth the wait though.
What to order: Classic Ramen, Shio Ramen, Chasu Pork Donburi, Draft Beer
Address:
– 1833 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC Canada, V6J 1M4
– 1333 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC Canada, V6E 1C6
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2. Maruhachi Ra-men
Maruhachi Ra-men (previously named Marutama) is must-visit for those craving a bowl of noodles that could’ve very well come straight out of the streets of Tokyo.
They specialize in a simple and light-tasting ramen, that uses a chicken broth base and ingredients that are all house-made or imported from Japan.
Every morning at 6:00 AM, their team prepares the soup and makes their chewy ramen noodles from scratch. Each day they make 1500 batches of noodles and still sell out before closing.
Their Tamago Ramen is a crowd favourite, which is topped with sliced cha-shu, seaweed, green onions and the most delicious semi-runny soft-boiled soy sauce eggs.
With multiple locations spread throughout Vancouver, they serve tried-and-true ramen bowls, ones that are never too far away from where you might be.
They are one of our personal favourite when looking to get the best ramen in town and one we recommend to all our relatives and friends visiting from out of town.
Pro tip: Always add the garlic chips. You will never be the same again after trying it.
What to order: Tamago Ramen, Aka Ramen, Veggie Curry Ramen
Address:
– 780 Bidwell St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2J6
– Near Central Library – 270 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6B 0E7
– 2858 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5T 0C1
– 5278 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5H 2E9
Order Online: Website
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3. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
What started off as a tiny nine seater restaurant with only a single item on the menu (now famous Shio ramen), in Hokkaido, Santouka has become a well-established name internationally.
With their goal to make “Family friendly, delicious, and healthy ramen”, Santouka makes their soup broth from scratch and uses minimal salt and artificial seasoning.
To create their mild and gentle flavoured broth, they boil pork bones for an extended period of time. Once the soup is complete, they do not re-boil it in order to preserve the taste and smell.
Although this means their soup may not be piping hot, this allows it to be served to children and elders at the right temperature.
And while you really can’t go wrong with any of their Shio Ramen, we’d be remiss not to recommend ordering the spicy miso ramen as well.
Like your taste buds, it’ll re-ignite your love affair for all things miso and chili peppers.
What to order: Shio Ramen, Spicy Miso Ramen
Address:
– 1690, Robson Street, Vancouver, BC V6G 1C7
– 558 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1E9
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4. The Ramen Butcher
Well, if the name isn’t enticing enough, their lofty ramen menu should do the trick.
Located in the heart of Chinatown, The Ramen Butcher is a bastion for old-school noodle slinging, making their famously thin noodles in-house and fresh daily.
While their classic Tsukemen and chicken ramens are resounding crowd favourites, we’d recommend taking your palate on a culinary excursion, ordering their black garlic ramen for dinner or lunch at this ramen restaurant.
It’s a welcomingly take on conventional pork broth ramen by adding in roasted garlic oil.
Yearning for some extra noodles? Ask for a (free) “kaedama”—which is, literally, a softball-sized mound of extra noodles.
What to order: Black Garlic Ramen, Green Basil Ramen, Coconut Curry Ramen
Address: 223 E Georgia St, Vancouver, BC, V6A 1Z6
5. Menya Itto
Menya Itto has always been in our top of mind whenever we think of an impeccable ramen bowl or tsukemen. Dubbed the ‘King of Tsukemen’ by its loyal fans in Japan, Menya Itto was awarded the Tabelog awards for best ramen in Japan since 2010.
Drop a visit to this place and get seduced by the chewy, slippery noodles, flavourful broth, and a modern, cozy ambiance.
Their Chashu Noko Gyokai Ramen has a thick and creamy chicken, seafood soup with scallop oil, and house-made thin noodles, which is light yet tasty and impressive in every bite!
The main attraction is definitely the Menya Itto Classic Tsukemen. It is what people line up for and is an absolute must-order if you love Tsukemen.
This hard-hitter has thicker noodles, served with Menya Itto’s Signature broth with crunchy-textured chicken balls. Soft, chewy, crispy at the same time!
What to order: Chashu Noko Gyokai Ramen, Menya Itto Classic Tsukemen, Tori Dango, Tori Chasu
Address: 1479 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6G 1C1
Website | Instagram | Facebook
6. Jinya Ramen Bar
“No Ramen, no life.” That’s their motto. Jinya Ramen Bar’s growing number of locations are each a bastion for aesthetics and flavour.
All their ramen offerings are served in massive breathtaking bowls that, truly, make every ramen’s many colourful ingredients pop.
But the quality doesn’t end with the tableware; it makes its way to the kitchen, as well.
Like the other ramen restaurants in Vancouver, they are meticulous in their craft. For instance: to prepare the broth, Jinya specifically uses FUJI water with 99.9% free of impurities.
Their thick and flavourful broth is slowly simmered for more than 10 hours and is combined with whole pork bones, chickens or vegetables with just the right amount of ingredients.
What to order: Creamy Spicy Vegan Ramen, Flying Vegan Harvest, Shrimp Wonton Ramen, Jinya Bun
Address: Downtown Vancouver – 541 Robson St Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 2B7
Instagram | Facebook | Website
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7. Horin Tonkotsu Ramen
Your next favourite ramen joint in Vancouver, Horin Tonkotsu Ramen, elevates your ramen dining experience by providing customizable ramen that is very similar to Japan.
Set in a simple yet polished space, this place is a standout among different ramen offerings in the area.
If you’re here for ramen, Horin’s house special, The One, is an exceptional choice among others. Served with all the side ingredients, you won’t miss out on anything with this one.
You can’t fully enjoy ramen without a side of Gyoza. The ones at Horin add more flavor and depth to the ramen as a whole.
What to order: The One, Gyoza, Ajitama Ramen, Chashu Ramen
Address: 1226 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1C1
Website | Instagram | Facebook
8. Kintaro Ramen
Kintaro may not win in the aesthetic department, but it sure is a treat to the stomach.
Its unpretentious interior and long queues gives this iconic Downtown Vancouver ramen spot a similar feeling to those in the backstreets of Tokyo.
Kintaro’s menu covers most basic choices (like shoyu, shio, and miso) and has specialty options (like cheese and cold ramen).
Like other ramen restaurants in Vancouver, you’re able to customize the richness of your soup and how fatty you want your cha-shu.
If you’re wandering around the West End area, Kintaro makes a great choice.
What to order: Shoyu Ramen, Original Cheese Ramen, Vegetable Shio Ramen
Address: 788 Denman Street Vancouver, British Columbia V6G 2L5
9. Taishoken Ramen
Taishoken Ramen is a small, quaint ramen destination just on the border of Chinatown and Gastown, featuring a wide selection of ramen staples that include traditional Tonkotsu (pan-fried pork cutlet), garlic-spiced oils, miso broths, and more.
Start with the Karamiso Tonkotsu with a rich, sharp broth made with garlicky spicy creamy miso, topped with 2 slices of chasu, a soft-boiled egg, fried garlic chips, and seaweed.
Or the classic Tsukemen with broad chewy noodles dipped into rich flavourful broth can also do you good! We simply can’t resist it!
In case you want to try something new, have yourself the Tomato Cheese Ramen! We bet you will fall for its light yet flavorsome tomato soup, enhanced by the signature of parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese!
What to order: Karamiso Tonkotsu, Tsukemen, Tomato Cheese Ramen, Spicy Gyoza
Address: 515 Abbott St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2L2
10. Ramen Tsukiya
This ramen hotspot is a well-documented Instagram darling, serving bowls of Japanese noodle dishes that are as pretty as they are picture-worthy.
Ramen Tsukiya’s bamboo charcoal ramen—a mesmeric pool of pitch-black broth that floats tofu, bamboo shoots, miso and more—should sit high on anyone’s must-eat list in the city.
For a less eye-shocking, yet equally transfixing ramen, grab a bowl of their cold Japanese-style ramen.
What to order: Bamboo Charcoal Dark Miso, Pork Gyoza, Tonkotsu Ramen Spicy Miso,
Address: Close to Stanley Park – 740 Denman St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2L5
Looking to stay in Downtown Vancouver?
We’re lucky to have so many quality ramen shops in Vancouver. And since each one of them uses a different method to cook their broth or provide you with options to customize your ramen noodle, it makes it a delightful experience to try all the best ramen spots and find which one is for you.
And if you’re looking for more great comfort eats in the city, check out our picks for the best fried chicken and brunch in Vancouver.
Or if you want the cream of the crop, peek our best restaurants in Vancouver list.
How We Create Our “Best” Lists
All Noms Magazine’s “best” lists are created using multiple factors and signals to help readers find the best restaurants, things to do, and places to stay at. Some of these factors and signs include personal experiences, correspondence with locals, and compiling experiences from review sites.
Each list is also created to be balanced (in terms of price, cuisine type, ambiance, and more) as possible. This means that the lists are not specifically created in ranking order. You should be comfortable picking from any of the spots on the list and generally have a good time. But of course, YMMV (your mileage may vary) and everyone may have different experiences/palates.